Process of treating tobacco-stems, &amp;c.



PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

I. LAUHOF F. PROGESS 0F TREATING TOBAUGOTSTEMS, &o.

' APPLICATION 111mm nno.1o, 1897. H mount. a sums-sum 1.

II/ZTNESS ES m mfafi u M r By orne 0. 772,892. PATBNTED OCT. 13, 1904.

v P. LAUHOFF. v PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCO STEMS, 6w.

APPLIGATION IILED DEG.10, 1897.

No MODEL. a sn-sms-snnnm 2.

o! o (W 9i 2 WITNESSES I A IIVVE/W'Ofl PATENTED OCT. 18, 1904.

r. LAUHOFP. PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCO STEMS, 6w.

APPLIUATION FILED DEG.10, 1897.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

) MODEL.

i WITNESSES v [Wm-Tm By -44 flitomey I Patented October 18, 1904.

FRANK LAUHOFF, or DETROIT, MICHIGAN-ASSIGNOR To THE AMERICAN TOBACCOCOMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PROCESS OF TREATING TOBACCO-STEMS, 81,0-

SPEGIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 772,892, dated October18, 1904.

Application filed December IO, 1897.

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANK LAUI-IOFF, a citi- -zen of the UnitedStates,residing at Detroit;

county of Wayne, State of Michigan, have invented a certain new anduseful Improvement in Processes of Treating Tobacco-Stems and theProduct Thereof; and I declare the following to be a full, clear, andexact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilledin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of thisspecification.

My present invention has for its object the process of treating tobaccostems and the product thereof hereinafter described and claimed, andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a sideelevation. Fig. 2 is a central vertical cross-section. Fig. 3 is avertical longitudinal section through one of the rolls and its shafts.Fig. 4 is a view, partly in plan and partly in horizontal section,showing portions of the device; and Fig. 5 is a of or che'apening itsvalue. The product result-.

ing from the process of treating the tobaccostems may be utilized tosome extent in the manufacture of other than granulated smoking-tobacco,and Ilwould have it understood that I do not limit myselfsolely to anyone use to which it may be put, as my invention contemplates any and alluses to which the product may be found adapted.

To illustrate the method of carrying out my improved process fortreating tobacco- Serial No. 661,332. (No specimens.)

stems, I have shown in the drawings submit- 5 O ted herewith a machineefiectually adapted for that purpose, said machine being designed toflatten the stems into a thin film or sheet, the stems being reduced incarrying out my improved process to a very thin tissue readily S5granulated, if desired, the product having much the appearance of theleaf portions of the tobacco-leaves stripped from the stems. This thintissue may be granulated by any suitable means in' the same manner asthe natural leaf.

The mechanism herewith illustrated forms the subject-matter of aseparate application filed by me March 27, 1897, Serial No. 629,.L81.

My improved process maybe carried out 5 as follows, and to. illustratethe same in the accompanying drawings, A represents any suitable supportupon which are mounted two rotatable flattening-rolls B and B, havingsmooth contact-surfaces, oneof said rolls, as 7 I the roll B, beingrotatable at a higher rate of speed than the other, thereby giving tothe two rolls differential peripheral speeds, causing a drawing pressureupon the stems fed therethrough and at the same time causingconsiderable friction and the consequent heating of the rolls. I, do notlimit myself solely to the friction of the rolls for heating the same,however, as they may be heated in any desired manner, as by steam, hotwater, or the application of heat in any form to the inner sides of therolls. It is desirable to have the rolls heated to a proper temperatureto secure satisfactory results in the process of treating thetobacco-stems, and means must be provided to regulate the temperature ofthe rolls, so that the temperature may be held at a uniform or desireddegree of heat, inasmuch as too high a temperature of the rolls wouldrender the machine incapable of proper operation, as the flattenedproduct i will be liable to be baked upon the rolls, and

it is very essential, therefore, that means he provided to govern thetemperature, so that it may be regulated as desired. To this end 95 myinvention contemplates constructing the rolls B B hollow, as shown, andalso to con struct the axles or shafts Z16 of said rolls,

respectively. each with a water-inlet channel 6 communicating with theinner chamber B of the roll, each axle being also constructed with anoutlet-channel b, communicating with'the said chamber of the roll,thereby effectually providing for water circulation through the shaftsof the rolls to cool said shafts in their bearings and also to cool therolls to their proper temperature.

C denotes the boxes of the shafts of the rolls through which water ispreferably circulated. To provide for the required circulation in orderto regulate the temperature of the rolls, I prefer to provide a mainfeed-water pipe D, which may lead into one of the boxes C, as at thebase thereof, an outletpipe D leading therefrom. From the pipe 1) maylead a pipe D into the shaft of the adjacent roll. The pipe 1) may alsobe connected with an additional pipe D as by a flexible or hoseconnection D, the pipe 1) being led into the other box in a similarmanner to that already described on the same side of the machine. A pipeI) may also be led from the pipe D into the shaft of the other roll. Thewater led into the shafts of the rolls is conducted into the interiorchambers of the rolls and is discharged therefrom at the opposite sideof the machine, as through pipes D. It will be observed that thewaterpipes are arranged so as to feed a fresh supply of watercontinuously through the rolls, the rolls being fed by the two pipes Dand D The Water after passing through the corresponding roll is notreturned through the other roll, the two rolls being provided Withindependent discharges of the water therefrom, so that each roll is thusprovided with its own water circulation, whereby both rolls may be keptof corresponding temperature. The inlet-pipes connected into thecorresponding rolls are preferably connected therein to by means of anintervening stuffingbox (indicated at Q) of any suitable construction, apipe Q rotating with the roll having a rotatable connection in thestuffing-box. So, also, the outlet-channels of the shafts of the rolls,at the opposite ends thereof, preferably discharge into funnels (Z,through intervening pipes D, said pipes D being rotatable with thecorresponding rolls and revolubly connected into the correspondingfunnels.

The rolls may be driven in any desired manner, as by a driving-pulley Fupon one of the shafts of the rolls, the opposite ends of the shaftsbeing geared together, as by gears F and F to give a positive and firmmovement to said rolls. The supportAmay be provided with a guide or wayG on each side of the machine, upon which theboxes rest, the machinebeing also provided with u pper guides or ways G, located at the tops ofthe boxes ,said guides being secured upon the support in any suitablemanner, as by bolts J, to hold the boxes firmly in position.

In carrying out my process the tobaccostems are fed to the rolls in anysuitable manner, as upon af ceding-chute, (indicated at K.)

M denotes bridges at the sides of the machine, extending across from onebox to the other at each side of the machine to hold the boxes moresnugly in position. These bridges may be fastened upon the support orframe of the machine in any suitable manner, as by bolts 11;. To flattenthe stems to a tissue or thin film requires a very considerable degreeof pressure between the rolls, in consequence of which the rolls mustwork sufliciently close together to reduce the stems to the requiredthinness or to the thickness of thin tissue-pm per or film N. The rollsbeing of the required temperature and in operation, the. flattenedproduct or film will stick firmly to the rolls, chiefly to the rollrotating at the highest speed. To separate the product or film from therolls, a sharp cutting device must be employed, the same being setsuflieiently close to the adjacent roll to effectually cut the film offtherefrom, the film thus cut ofi or severed from the roll being in theform of a thin sheet, resembling, as already stated, the appearance ofthe natural leaf stripped from the stem. To separate the product fromthe rolls, as shown in the drawings, the cutting mechanism may consistof brackets L, having an adjustable engagement upon the support A of themachine in any suitable manner, as by bolts Z. The brackets L may beconstructed with a base or bed L, upon which rests an adjustable plateor knife-holder L, preferably made reciprocatory by means ofadjustingscrews engaged with the base or bed L and with said plate orknife-holder.

L denotes a cap serving as a clamp, also to hold a cutting-blade orknife L" between said cap and the plate. Said cap may be engaged uponsaid plate by means of screws 1. The plate L and the cap L areconstructed with curved bearings, forming fulcrums for the cutter-bladetoward their lower edges on their adjacent faces, as indicated at Z and1 whereby the edge of the knife may be tilted or adjusted vertically, asmay be required, the kni to being permitted a vertically-rockingmm'ement upon said fulcrums, whereby the edge of the knife may beadjusted vertically by meansof screws L passing through the cap andhearing upon the knife-blade. In this manner the edges of the knife maybe set snugly against the adjacent rolls to effectually cut off theflattened product therefrom by means of the set-serous L, located indifferent posit-ions along the length of the knife. The knife may beevenly and uniformly set from end to end in proper contact with thesurface of the adjacent roll to secure the desired result and an evencutting off of the stock from the roll. \Vhen the product is cut offfrom the rolls by the knives, the rolls are left perfectly clean to therear of the knife-edge, so that as the rolls rotate ICO they are incondition to receive a succeeding coating of the stems fed thereto andflattenedthereby. This mechanism is fully described in' my'applicationabove referred to. The stems are preferably steamed somewhat beforebeing fed to the machine and may be fed pearance" to that of the naturalleaf portion.

In carrying out, my improved process the heat softens the contents ofthe cells in the stems," enabling the cellular contents when thussoftened under heat and subjectedto the drawing pressure of the rolls tobe more effectually spread over the surface of the flattening product.

the stems and spreads it over the woody fiber,

so as to produce a thin sheet or tissuecloselyf resembling the naturalleaf.

In carrying out my process the woody fiber of the stem is so'transformedin the resultant film as to no longer bear the appearance of a fibrousconstruction,so thoroughly is the stock flattened in a thin sheet ortissue.

In addition'to 'using this product in the manufacture of granulatedsmoking-tobacco it may also be Worked into longcutsmokingtobacco, intoplug-cut smoking-tobacco, as

well as into other forms of tobacco preparations, to great advantage.When the stem is flattened in' this manner, it will smoke like naturalleaf products and will not swell or crawl in smoking, as will broken orcut stem products in burning.

What I claim as my invention is' 1. The herein-described process oftreating tobacco-stems which consists in' drawing out the stems andcompressing the drawn-out material into 'a film or thin tissuebysubjecting the stems in a pliable condition to compression betweenrollers havingv different peripheral speeds and heatedtoa uniformtemperature,

substantially as described.

2. The herein-described process of treating tobacco-stems which consistsin drawing out the stems and'compressing the drawn-out material into afilmor' thin tissue by subjecting The drawing pressure of the rolls thusdraws out the cellular material of the stems in a pliable condition tocompres' sion between rollers having different peripheral speeds andheated to a'uniform temperature, and granula ting the film or thintissue thus produced, substantially as described.

3. The herein-described process of treating tobacco-stems which consistsin drawing out the stemsand compressing the drawn-out material into afilm or thin tissue by subjecting the stems in a pliable condition tocompression between rollers having different peripheral speeds andmaintaining a uniform temperature of the rolls substantially asdescribed by circulating liquid through the rolls.

4:. The herein-described process of treating tobacco-stems whichconsists in drawing out the stems and compressing the drawn-out material into a film or thin tissue by subjecting the stems in a pliablecondition to compression between rollers having different periphperatureof the rolls substantially as described by circulating liquid throughthe rolls, and

I granulating the film or thin tissue thus produced. 5. Theherein-described process of treating tobacco stems consisting ofsubjecting the stems in a pliable condition to compression betweenrollers having different peripheral speeds and heated to a uniformtemperature substantially as described, whereby the ma terial issimultaneously drawn out and compressed into a film or thin tissueand-caused to adhere to said rolls, and then cutting said film or tissueoff said rolls. 7 i

6. The herein-described process of treating tobacco-stems consisting of'moistenin'g the stems and then subjecting the stems in a pliablecondition to compression between rollers having different peripheralspeeds and heated to a uniform temperature, substantially as described.7. As anew article of manufacture the here'- in-described homogeneousfilm or thin tissue consisting of flattened tobacco-stems, substantiallyas described. 8. As a new article of manufacture the herein-describedgranulated film or thin tissue consisting of flattened tobaccostems,substantially as described. 1

' In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANKLAUHOFF. Witnesses:

N. S, WRIGHT, O. B. BAENZIGER.

eral speeds and maintaining a uniform tem-v

